Pentagon Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder holds a press briefing.
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00:00 All right, good afternoon, everyone.
00:05 Just a few things here at the top, and then we'll get right to your questions.
00:09 Regarding the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the Department remains squarely focused
00:13 on supporting Israel's defense needs in the wake of Hamas's terrorist attacks, deterring
00:18 a broader regional conflict, and ensuring force protection for our troops serving in
00:23 the region.
00:25 Secretary Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Galant yesterday as part of
00:29 their near-daily phone calls and received updates on Israel's operations to restore
00:33 security.
00:35 During the discussion, Secretary Austin reiterated the importance of ensuring humanitarian aid
00:40 can be delivered into Gaza and repeated our calls for Israel to ensure the protection
00:44 of civilians.
00:45 A readout of the call has been posted to the DOD website.
00:49 In addition to the security assistance for Israel we've announced previously, I can confirm
00:53 that in addition to the Iron Dome interceptors we're flowing to Israel, we're also planning
00:58 to provide the two U.S. Iron Dome systems currently in our inventory to Israel to help
01:04 further bolster their air defense capabilities and protect citizens from rocket attacks.
01:10 For operations security reasons, I'm not going to discuss shipment timelines or delivery
01:14 dates and will defer to Israel to make any announcements regarding future deployment
01:18 and use of these systems.
01:21 As part of our efforts to deter a broader conflict and further bolster U.S. force protection
01:26 capabilities, I can confirm that since our initial force posture announcement, approximately
01:33 900 troops have subsequently deployed or are in the process of deploying to the U.S.
01:38 Central Command Area of Responsibility.
01:41 These include forces that have been on prepare-to-deploy orders and which are deploying from the continental
01:46 United States.
01:47 Deployed and deploying units include a terminal high-altitude area defense battery from Fort
01:52 Bliss, Texas, Patriot batteries from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Patriot and Avenger batteries
01:59 from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and associated air defense headquarters elements from Fort
02:05 Bliss and Fort Cavados, Texas.
02:10 While I won't talk specific deployment locations for these forces, I can confirm that they
02:14 are not going to Israel and that, again, they are intended to support regional deterrence
02:18 efforts and further bolster U.S. force protection capabilities.
02:23 Shifting gears, the White House announced today a $150 million security assistance package
02:28 for Ukraine to support Ukraine's urgent security needs.
02:32 This marks the 49th provision of equipment from DOD inventories to Ukraine since August
02:36 2021.
02:37 This crucial security assistance includes air defense capabilities, artillery, ammunition,
02:44 anti-tank weapons, and other important aid to help Ukraine counter Russia's ongoing aggression
02:49 and continue its fight for independence and freedom.
02:52 As you've heard Secretary Austin and other senior leaders say, the United States will
02:56 continue to stand firmly with Ukraine and we will continue to have their backs.
03:00 Finally, the Department released its annual report on suicide in the military for calendar
03:05 year 2022 today.
03:07 This report serves as the official release authority for annual suicide data on service
03:12 members and their families.
03:14 The report also highlights current and ongoing department-wide efforts to reduce suicide
03:19 risk among service members and their families.
03:22 Although the Department is cautiously encouraged by some of the information in this year's
03:26 annual report, we remain deeply concerned about suicide in the military community.
03:31 The health, safety, and well-being of our military community is essential to the readiness
03:35 of our total force.
03:37 Every death by suicide is a tragedy.
03:40 As part of broader efforts to ensure we take care of our people, which includes Secretary
03:44 Austin establishing the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Commission,
03:50 the Department is implementing a campaign with five lines of effort and enabling tasks
03:54 to augment our suicide prevention and response capabilities.
03:58 Based on findings from this report, the Department will continue its efforts aimed at effectively
04:03 meeting the needs of our population at greatest risk of suicide and continue to support military
04:08 families.
04:09 The report is available online on the DOD website.
04:12 And with that, I'll be happy to take your questions.
04:14 We'll go to Lita, Associated Press.
04:16 Thank you.
04:17 Two clarifications, if I can, and then a question.
04:20 One, the THAAD and Patriots that you mentioned are not in addition to the ones you talked
04:24 about the other day.
04:25 They are the same ones, correct?
04:27 Correct.
04:28 Okay.
04:29 Secondly, the two Iron Domes, has the U.S. been able to determine how legally those particular
04:38 systems can be delivered because there are caps on some type of weapons systems and the
04:44 amounts?
04:45 So has all of that been settled?
04:46 And then I have a follow-up question.
04:48 So on that question, yes, we're working through that process.
04:52 We are confident that we'll be able to provide those systems to Israel.
04:55 I don't have any details to provide for you today.
04:58 If and when we're able to, certainly we'll get that information out.
05:01 But that process is ongoing, right?
05:03 Or has it done?
05:05 We are working through the final details of that process.
05:08 But again, we're confident that these – we are going to be able to provide these systems
05:13 to Israel.
05:14 Okay.
05:15 And then my question.
05:17 On the attacks against the United States, bases and personnel in Syria and Iraq, exactly
05:24 how many attacks has the Pentagon now assessed have been actually done against the bases?
05:32 And secondly, a number of groups have taken responsibility for these.
05:37 What does the U.S. assess as the groups that are responsible for them?
05:41 Sure.
05:42 So on your first question, I would tell you that between October 17 and 26, U.S. and coalition
05:49 forces have been attacked at least 12 separate times in Iraq, four separate times in Syria
05:55 by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets.
05:58 Again, we will continue to revise those numbers as new information comes in.
06:04 In regards to your second question, I'm not going to have more specific information
06:10 to provide to you from here in terms of specific groups that have claimed responsibility, other
06:15 than to say we know that these groups are affiliated with Iran.
06:20 Thanks.
06:21 Jennifer.
06:22 Were there two more attacks in the last 24 hours on U.S. bases?
06:27 We understand that Deir al-Zor and Erbil were attacked.
06:30 What happened?
06:31 So, Jennifer, what I would tell you is we're continuing to refine information coming in
06:38 from Central Command.
06:39 I can tell you that we are aware of an attack today against U.S. forces at Erbil Air Base
06:48 in Iraq.
06:49 It was unsuccessful, no casualties, some minor damage to infrastructure.
06:54 But again, we will make sure that we're able to update that information.
06:59 I'm not tracking a second one at this point in time, but again, as that information comes
07:02 in.
07:03 You said that you assess that these are Iranian-backed groups.
07:08 Will you hold Iran responsible, or are you holding the proxy groups responsible?
07:14 And what is taking so long to respond?
07:16 Look, I'm not going to get into telegraphing whether we are or are not going to respond,
07:21 other than to say we would do so at a time and place of our choosing.
07:24 I think we've been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops,
07:29 and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas.
07:34 As it relates to these groups, again, we know that these are Iranian-backed militia groups
07:41 that are supported by Iran, and of course we hold Iran responsible for these groups.
07:47 But how are you holding them responsible?
07:49 Again, I'm not going to telegraph any potential actions.
07:52 Lastly, you're sending some EOD, Explosive Ordnance Troops, to the Middle East.
07:57 Will they be helping in Gaza?
07:59 Are they helping with booby traps and tunnels?
08:01 Why send EOD personnel?
08:02 Yeah, so to be clear, to my knowledge, we are not sending any EOD personnel at this
08:08 time.
08:09 Certainly, we have EOD forces that are potentially tapped for a deployment, but none of those
08:19 forces would be going to Israel.
08:21 So again, I'm not going to get ahead of units that are on prepare-to-deploy orders, other
08:26 than to say we will make sure we have the capabilities we need in theater to support
08:32 both force protection and deterrence efforts.
08:34 Pat.
08:35 Thanks.
08:36 On this idea of Iranian-backed groups and what they're doing, is DOD observing actual
08:41 coordination between Iran and these groups and Hamas?
08:45 And presently, one of the senior leaders of Hamas is in Moscow.
08:48 Is DOD perceiving any coordination at this time between Moscow and Hamas or any of these
08:53 groups?
08:54 Yeah, so I think your question was these groups in Iraq and Syria and Hamas, right?
09:02 So let's separate these two things.
09:05 One is the situation in Israel, which is Israel and their fight against Hamas.
09:10 What we're seeing here is in Iraq and Syria, where our forces are there as part of the
09:15 Defeat ISIS mission.
09:17 These groups, many of which are longstanding in that region, are conducting these attacks
09:24 against U.S. forces.
09:25 And so two separate issues that we're seeing here.
09:30 That said, we do know Iran, of course, has a relationship with groups like Hamas, with
09:34 Hezbollah, and with these militia groups that we see in Iraq and Syria.
09:39 Yeah, but does that relationship mean daily tactical communications about possible strikes?
09:43 So I'm not going to get into intelligence, but again, I would not necessarily try to
09:49 connect dots that don't necessarily exist right now.
09:52 Thanks.
09:53 Fadi.
09:54 Thank you.
09:55 I just have a clarification about the attack in Erbil first.
09:57 You described it as unsuccessful.
10:01 What is the criteria that the DOD used in evaluating attacks, whether successful or
10:06 unsuccessful?
10:09 Whether or not there was any significant injuries or damage.
10:13 So all of these attacks so far have been unsuccessful based on – no, no, I'm just – okay.
10:19 Just a clarification.
10:20 Yeah.
10:21 Okay.
10:22 And you might know that yesterday family members of a Jizyar correspondent in Gaza were killed
10:31 in an Israeli airstrike.
10:33 This adds to more than 7,000 civilians who've been killed according to health authorities
10:39 in Gaza.
10:40 I know the President yesterday seemed skeptical about these numbers.
10:45 Other officials in administration are skeptical about these numbers.
10:48 However, the White House issued a memo in 2023 about the transfer of conventional weapons,
10:56 and that links human rights violations to transfers, and there's a monitoring process
11:02 there.
11:03 Is the DOD trying to monitor how Israel is using weapons provided by the U.S. and the
11:10 toll on civilian – innocent civilians in Gaza?
11:15 If so, can you detail some examples?
11:17 If not, why not?
11:19 Yeah.
11:20 Thanks, Fadi.
11:21 We've also seen those reports, and certainly our hearts are with any innocent civilians
11:26 that have been killed in this conflict, whether they be Palestinians, Israelis, Americans,
11:31 or any other – from any other nation.
11:34 No one wants to see that.
11:37 In terms of our focus, we continue to communicate closely with Israel on what they need to defend
11:44 their people against terrorist attacks.
11:48 And as you've heard us say, we are communicating regularly about the importance of abiding
11:53 by the laws of war, by protecting civilians, and we'll continue to do that.
12:00 As it relates to the types of equipment that we provide and the capabilities we provide,
12:05 we have longstanding agreements in place, and I'll just leave it on that.
12:10 But is there any active – when you say you're pushing the issue with the Israelis, is there
12:15 any work being done to verify whether Israel is adhering to its obligations or not?
12:21 Look, I'm going to defer to Israel to talk about their operations.
12:25 Again, they are professional military, we're professional military, we communicate on a
12:29 regular basis, and as I mentioned, we've been having those discussions about the importance
12:33 of abiding by the laws of war and about protecting civilians, and we will continue to do that.
12:38 Idris.
12:39 A couple of questions.
12:40 Firstly, how long will it take for the air defenses that are going to the region to be
12:44 operational?
12:45 I mean, days or weeks?
12:46 And secondly, the French earlier today said that one of their warships heading to the
12:49 region would support hospitals in Gaza.
12:53 Has there been any consideration or planning about the U.S. warships that are in the region
12:58 helping hospitals in Gaza?
12:59 Yeah, thanks, Idris.
13:01 So in terms of the deployment of the systems, I'm not going to get into the specifics
13:05 other than to say many of those systems will be – some of them are already online and
13:12 many of them will be online very soon, but again, for operations security reasons, I'm
13:16 not going to go into specifics.
13:18 As it relates to our carrier strike groups in the region, right now they are there for
13:24 a deterrence mission and also, again, to support a wide range of contingencies.
13:30 So as it relates to France or other countries, I obviously can't speak to that, but we
13:37 again have the flexibility and adaptability should our mission change.
13:41 And one last question.
13:42 Yesterday, President Biden said, "I'm sure innocence," and he's referring to
13:45 Palestinians, "have been killed, and it's the price of waging a war."
13:49 Does the Secretary agree with that?
13:51 Look, I think it's important, again, to take a step back in how we got here.
13:56 And I don't have to tell you October 7th, vicious terrorist attack by Hamas against
14:02 the Israeli people.
14:03 And so the United States rushed quickly to assist our partner Israel in terms of what
14:08 they need to defend their people.
14:11 As we've consulted with them, we've again not only provided assistance but had those
14:16 discussions about the importance of making sure that innocent civilians are not caught
14:20 in this conflict, to include the Palestinians.
14:23 The United States has been working very closely with Israeli officials, Egyptian officials,
14:29 others to figure out how best to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
14:34 We fully recognize that there's a humanitarian situation there that needs to be addressed,
14:39 and everyone wants to see the Palestinian people be able to live in peace and security.
14:45 It's terribly unfortunate that a group like Hamas is using facilities throughout Gaza
14:51 to shield themselves with civilians.
14:55 And again, we're going to continue to communicate with our partners on the importance of civilian
14:58 safety, but we also recognize Israel's inherent right of self-defense as well.
15:03 Thank you.
15:04 Nancy.
15:05 I wanted to follow up on a statement you made earlier this week and get some clarity.
15:09 You said that General Glenn was traveling in Israel in part to help address civilian
15:14 casualties and reduce those figures, and then the President said that the U.S. doesn't
15:18 trust the Palestinian figures.
15:20 Does the U.S. military have an estimate of how many Palestinians have been killed since
15:24 October 7th in Gaza?
15:25 I don't have one in front of me.
15:28 I don't have those numbers.
15:31 And the figures that I'm tracking are coming from Hamas, but I don't have any civilian
15:35 casualty figures independently from the United States now.
15:39 I guess what I'm having a hard time understanding is the U.S. was able to give an estimate for
15:43 how many Palestinians were killed in the hospital attack.
15:47 Why is it able to-
15:48 I'm not tracking that either.
15:49 The Intelligence Committee said it was between one and 300.
15:50 Then I have to for you then.
15:51 Between what?
15:52 Between one and 300 that were killed in the hospital attack.
15:53 They put that out earlier this week.
15:54 Between one and 300?
15:55 One hundred and 300.
15:56 One hundred and 300.
15:57 Okay.
15:58 One hundred, yeah, sorry.
15:59 One hundred and 300.
16:02 And I guess what I'm having a hard time understanding is why is the U.S. able to make an assessment
16:06 on that attack but can't provide estimates on how many Palestinians have been killed,
16:11 especially with the President saying that those figures can't be trusted?
16:14 Yeah.
16:15 So, at the risk of speculating here, because that's what I'm going to be doing, you and
16:21 I have both been following conflicts in the Middle East and terrorist attacks for a very
16:27 long time.
16:28 And you know how difficult it is to prove the situation on the ground without having
16:35 independent observers go there and look at this information.
16:38 And if you look at an incredibly dense place like Gaza and you look at the situation there,
16:45 a lot of those reports, that information comes in.
16:48 It's going to be very difficult to independently verify it on a case-by-case basis.
16:54 So in the situation of the hospital, again, a lot of international focus and attention
17:00 on that.
17:01 And so, of course, our intelligence community is able to zero in and focus on that and really
17:06 gather information.
17:07 But even that took days to get.
17:10 So we've all seen a lot of the news alerts that come out after various airstrikes or
17:16 explosions.
17:17 In some cases, it's coming from various sources.
17:21 It's hard to confirm.
17:23 And so for me to stand here and say we have an accurate accounting of civilian casualties
17:29 in Gaza, I just don't have that information.
17:32 That's not to say that eventually that information won't be developed, but that's just where
17:36 we're at right now.
17:37 I appreciate the answer.
17:38 I guess what I'm trying to understand, though, is when General Glenn and others are trying
17:41 to advise ways to reduce civilian casualties, how are they making an assessment whether
17:46 that advice is being taken, whether they need to adjust it, whether it's being used effectively
17:51 or --
17:52 No, I understand.
17:54 And it's a good point.
17:56 And just to clarify, General Glenn is not there to direct the Israeli military.
17:59 He's not there to tell them what to do.
18:02 He is there as a subject matter expert on urban combat, among which the considerations
18:08 are, how do you account for the civilian population and trying to mitigate those casualties?
18:12 Because again, at the end of the day, this is about saving lives.
18:16 It's about trying to eliminate a terrorist threat.
18:19 So yeah, thank you.
18:20 Yes, sir.
18:21 Thank you.
18:22 I want to pick up on the air defense systems that have been shipped to the region.
18:27 Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. had asked Israel to hold off
18:32 on the ground offensive until those air defense systems could get to the region.
18:37 Is there any truth to that report?
18:38 Yeah, I've seen those reports.
18:40 What I would tell you is I'd refer you to the Israelis to talk about their operations,
18:44 their timelines.
18:45 Our focus is really on ensuring that the Israeli defense forces have what they need
18:51 to defend the Israeli people.
18:53 And again, as I mentioned earlier, to send a clear deterrence message and to ensure we
18:57 have capabilities in the theater for force protection.
19:00 I would highlight that we already do have significant capabilities.
19:04 Vadi asked earlier about unsuccessful attack.
19:08 We have defensive systems on these facilities that are able to mitigate some of those attacks.
19:14 And so again, that's really what our focus continues to be.
19:17 And just quickly as well, French President Emmanuel Macron floated the idea of a coalition
19:23 that's similar to the one that was made to defeat ISIS.
19:28 Has there been any further movements from the U.S.?
19:30 I know that they were looking into that with the Alize.
19:32 Yeah, I don't have anything on that in particular.
19:35 As you know, we cooperate with many nations on counterterrorism, but as it relates to
19:40 that specifically, I don't have anything.
19:43 Warren.
19:44 Two questions, one Israel, one Ukraine.
19:47 As we're asking some of these Israel questions, you referenced how we got here, the October
19:51 7th attack from Hamas.
19:52 When we ask about Palestinian civilians killed as a result of Israeli strikes, does the U.S.
19:56 hold Israel responsible for any civilian casualties in Gaza?
20:00 Again, Warren, right now our focus is on helping Israel defend themselves from terrorist attacks
20:06 and also deterring a wider regional conflict.
20:11 And on Ukraine, the package announced 150 million is one of the smallest we've seen
20:15 I think since the start of the war.
20:18 As the Pentagon says, we can support both Israel and Ukraine, and at a critical time,
20:24 why such a small package?
20:25 Are you running out of money here?
20:26 Because that's how it comes across.
20:28 Yeah, well, Warren, you've been following this for a long time, and you know that those
20:32 capabilities or the size of the packages will fluctuate based on what we see in terms of
20:37 the needs on the ground.
20:38 So the same thing, you can expect to see those continuing to ebb and flow in terms of the
20:43 size.
20:44 That said, we have submitted a supplemental request for additional funding for Ukraine
20:50 and Israel, as well as other national security requirements.
20:54 And so we'll continue to work closely with Congress to seek that funding so that we can
20:58 continue to provide support at a level that we think is important.
21:02 Thank you.
21:03 Lara.
21:04 Thanks, Pat.
21:05 Two questions.
21:06 First, tell us the latest overall number of casualties from the attacks in Iraq and Syria,
21:12 including the attacks today, and whether there were any TBIs reported among them.
21:17 And then secondly, altogether, how many troops are either deployed or on prepare to deploy
21:22 to CENTCOM as a response to these attacks?
21:27 So between October 17 and 18, Eastern Time, 21 U.S. personnel received minor injuries
21:36 due to drone attacks at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq, and Al-Tanf garrison, Syria.
21:41 And as we've highlighted, all members returned to duty.
21:46 At Al-Tanf garrison – so during those two days, at Al-Tanf garrison, there were 17 U.S.
21:52 personnel who sustained minor injuries, 15 of whom were diagnosed with TBI, traumatic
21:59 brain injury.
22:00 At Al-Asad Air Base, four personnel were diagnosed with TBI but no other injuries.
22:06 And again, in all cases, members returned to duty.
22:09 There have been no injuries or no reported cases of TBI since the 17th and 18th of October.
22:17 Again, we'll continue to keep you updated.
22:21 As I mentioned in the statement that I put out last night, as we've seen in the past,
22:26 there are situations where several days after an attack, a member may self-report ringing
22:32 in the ears, headaches, and subsequently diagnosis TBI.
22:37 So those numbers can fluctuate.
22:38 But as of 15/06 on the 26th of October, that's what I've got.
22:44 Okay.
22:45 And then just – sorry, on the second question, how many troops altogether are either deployed
22:49 or on prepare to deploy?
22:50 Yeah.
22:51 And what I just announced, I'm not going to have any specific numbers to provide in
22:55 terms of the broader theater footprint.
22:58 As it relates to prepare to deploy orders, those numbers are going to continue to fluctuate
23:02 just based on mission requirements, readiness rates, et cetera.
23:06 So I'm just not going to be able to provide a number.
23:08 The last number we heard was 2,000.
23:10 Yeah.
23:11 So that was a mark on the wall, again, based on the moment in time.
23:16 But again, that's going to continue to fluctuate.
23:17 Thank you.
23:18 Yes, ma'am.
23:19 Thank you.
23:20 The U.S. Secretary of State recently – Secretary of State is hosting travel to Angola.
23:24 And while there, he expressed the U.S. interest in deepening the cooperation with Angola.
23:33 So since he returned, have the Secretary brief President Biden?
23:39 And can you give us an overview how things are progressing since Secretary's visit
23:43 to Angola?
23:44 Sure.
23:45 So as it relates to the Secretary's conversations with the President, I don't have anything
23:50 specific to read out.
23:52 Clearly Africa and our relationship with Angola continue to remain important.
23:58 As you know from that trip, we announced a series of upcoming initiatives in terms of
24:05 regular contact to look at ways that our two militaries can work together to enhance our
24:09 security relationship.
24:11 And so as there are additional developments, we will post information to make that available.
24:17 Can you share a little bit your – the Secretary and all team experience while in Africa?
24:22 How was it?
24:23 Everything was – How the experience in Africa was?
24:25 It was fantastic.
24:26 I mean, we had the opportunity to see several important initiatives from Djibouti to Kenya
24:33 to Angola.
24:34 The visit to Angola, if – and I'm sure you saw the speech.
24:38 The Secretary provided some very inspiring remarks about his views on the importance
24:43 of Africa and the importance of democracies.
24:46 And so, yeah, it was a great trip.
24:47 And the Secretary really, really appreciated the opportunity to meet with all of our partners
24:52 there.
24:53 Let me – I've been remiss.
24:54 Let me go to the phones here.
24:55 Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg.
24:56 Hi, Pat.
24:57 I have a quick question on inventory.
25:02 There's a running narrative now in Washington that the United States might not be able to
25:07 supply Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel all kind of at the same time simultaneously.
25:14 Can you run through a little bit, though, how much U.S. inventory has actually been
25:18 sent to Israel?
25:20 Maybe 155s, but the small diameter bombs and JDAMs are all in a Boeing contract and not
25:26 really out of U.S. inventories.
25:28 But can you address that a little bit?
25:29 I mean, does Israel have a chance to – does that complicate U.S. inventory issues on
25:36 top of Ukraine?
25:37 Yeah, thanks, Tony.
25:38 So, you know, the difference here is that Israel has a very advanced military, a very
25:48 Western-style military already, so the needs writ large are different between what Israel
25:54 is asking for and what Ukraine is asking for.
25:58 And so we are confident that we will be able to support both, as you've heard Secretary
26:03 Austin say in the past.
26:05 And so obviously, we continue to work closely with our defense industrial base and with
26:10 our allies and partners around the world and their efforts with their industrial bases
26:15 to ramp up production of things like 155.
26:18 But again, we're confident that we can support both.
26:21 Thank you.
26:22 Let me go to Jeff Schogol, Task and Purpose.
26:25 Thank you.
26:26 First, just a quick clarification.
26:28 I thought that the Patriot batteries and the THAAD battery were in addition to the troops
26:33 that were placed on prepare to deploy orders.
26:35 Are you saying that the 900 troops that are include troops that have been put on prepare
26:44 to deploy orders?
26:45 And the second thing is, if the United States has said that it does not want a water conflict
26:52 in the Middle East, yet attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria continue, is it possible
26:57 that Iranian-backed groups in Iran are just not getting the message?
27:00 Yeah, thanks, Jeff.
27:02 So as I mentioned at the top, some of those forces of the 900 on the PTDO, I'm not going
27:08 to get into the specifics of which were and which weren't.
27:11 But needless to say, we're going to deploy whatever capabilities we need to be overseas
27:17 to support our force protection and deterrence efforts.
27:21 As it relates to these groups and these attacks, again, I'll just emphasize what I said before,
27:28 that we will always reserve the right to self-defense, that we will take all necessary actions to
27:34 ensure that our forces are protected and that our interests overseas are protected.
27:39 I'm not going to telegraph any response if and when we decide to respond, other than
27:43 to say we would do so at a time and place of our choosing.
27:46 Thank you very much.
27:47 Time for a few more.
27:48 Yes, ma'am.
27:49 I wanted to ask about Robert Carr, the suspect in the main shooting enlisted in the U.S.
27:54 Army Reserve, has an active military ID, giving access to any military base.
27:59 Has that been suspended or revoked?
28:01 And there are also reports he previously threatened to carry out a gun attack at a U.S. Army base.
28:06 Can you talk about that?
28:07 I really can't.
28:08 I'd have to refer you to the Army.
28:10 And then, of course, the main authorities I know are addressing this situation.
28:16 So the Army should be able to provide you with additional information regarding this
28:20 individual.
28:21 And just to clarify, I know that they asked just in terms of the injuries, but then also
28:25 the deaths.
28:26 Is the only death in these attacks the U.S. contractor that had died of cardiac arrest?
28:31 Is that the only death?
28:32 That is correct.
28:33 And just beyond that, as we're talking about, you said now 16 attacks over the last week
28:38 or so.
28:40 My question is, is U.S. deterrence working?
28:43 Look, again, these attacks are concerning.
28:47 They're certainly dangerous.
28:49 And our forces are there to conduct the defeat ISIS mission.
28:54 So I would say that we are going to take any necessary measures to protect our troops.
29:02 But again, as far as any actions we might take, I'm not going to telegraph that.
29:06 We would do something at a time and place of our choosing should we choose to do so.
29:10 And I'll just leave it at that.
29:11 Will.
29:12 Asked and answered.
29:13 Okay.
29:14 Time for a few more.
29:15 Tom, and then we'll go back here.
29:16 Thanks, Pat.
29:17 I wanted to follow up on your use of the phrase "laws of war."
29:20 I know on Tuesday you were asked what specific laws of war, and I don't want to get into
29:23 that area either.
29:24 But what I am curious is, Israel has signed many protocols from the Geneva Conventions.
29:30 Are those what you refer to when you say the laws of war, without going into the weeds
29:33 on what specific ones?
29:35 I'm just trying to really get a grasp of this, because that phrase has been used a lot by
29:39 you and others.
29:40 Yeah.
29:41 Again, Tom, I -- you know, there's plenty of information online in terms of the judicial
29:46 aspects of laws of war.
29:47 But as you know, laws of armed conflict is a significant aspect in terms of what, you
29:54 know, we in the Department of Defense abide by.
29:56 But I'm not going to hold a lecture today on --
29:59 I know.
30:00 I know.
30:01 I want to be specific when I'm asking.
30:02 And I'm not trying to get a lecture or --
30:03 Proportionality.
30:04 Are the ones you're talking about the ones that Israel has ratified and signed, or the
30:08 broader laws of war?
30:09 I'd refer you to Israel to talk about what they -- yeah.
30:11 You're the one using the phrase, Pat, not them.
30:13 No, what you're asking me to do is give a class on the laws of war, and I'm going to
30:17 not waste everybody's time, and we'll move on to other questions.
30:20 Yes, ma'am.
30:21 Just a follow-up on the civilian casualties in Gaza.
30:26 You mentioned that independent observers are needed to verify those numbers.
30:29 Which independent observers does the U.S. trust to verify the count?
30:33 Yeah, that's beyond the scope of my responsibilities here at the Department of Defense.
30:38 Again, our focus right now is on supporting Israel, deterring a wider regional conflict,
30:42 and ensuring that force protection is taken into account across the AOR.
30:47 Thank you.
30:48 All right.
30:49 Can I take -- I'll do two more.
30:50 Jennifer, and then Fadi, and then we'll -- Can I get your response to two recent reports,
30:54 including one suggesting that there was a meeting in Beirut between Iranian leaders,
31:00 Hezbollah and Hamas, before the attack, and second, that 500 Hamas fighters trained inside
31:07 Iran.
31:08 Do you have any evidence of either of those stories being accurate?
31:12 So as it relates to the meeting and as it relates to the training, I've seen press reports
31:17 on that.
31:18 I don't have any information to provide on those, other than to say, again, we know that
31:22 Iran and Hamas have a longstanding relationship.
31:25 We know that Iran has trained, funded, resourced Hamas in the past.
31:33 Going back to what we know about the October 7 attacks, we still have not seen that Iran
31:38 -- the Iranian government knew in advance that these attacks were going to occur.
31:43 But again, that's something that we continue to look at closely.
31:46 Thank you.
31:47 Fadi, last question.
31:48 Thanks for taking this question.
31:49 I just want to sum up, because you've been asked many questions on the same topic, and
31:53 you maintain two things, that the department will support Israel's right to defend itself.
31:59 It has a professional military.
32:01 At the same time, you're not able to verify the number of civilians killed in Israeli
32:05 operations.
32:07 Let me put it this way.
32:09 Is this support to Israel's right to defend itself is unconditional, regardless of the
32:15 toll that it exacts on civilians in Gaza?
32:19 So I understand what you're asking, Fadi, and I'm not going to turn it into that black
32:25 and white of an issue.
32:27 What we are trying to do here is a couple of things.
32:30 Most importantly, to try to ensure the safety and security of not only the Israeli people,
32:35 but people throughout the broader region, which is why we're working so hard to deter
32:39 regional conflict.
32:40 No one wants to see innocent Palestinian people in Gaza suffer.
32:46 The United States has made very clear our policy on trying to find a two-state solution
32:54 where Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace.
32:57 Unfortunately, you have a group like Hamas that has exploited this situation and exploited
33:04 the Palestinian people.
33:06 And so clearly a complex issue, not something that we could, of course, stand here and have
33:12 a long conversation and you would know infinitely more than I, the complexities of this.
33:17 But the United States is focused on helping Israel defend itself against terrorism, and
33:22 we're also focused on ensuring that this conflict does not widen so that more innocent people
33:27 are killed.
33:28 We will continue to have those important conversations with our Israeli partners about proportionality
33:33 and civilian safety, but I'm not going to speak for the Israelis and I'm not going to
33:37 speak to individual specific strikes because that would be inappropriate.
33:41 But I can assure you again that this is important to us and it will continue to be important.
33:46 Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
33:47 I appreciate it.
33:47 [END]
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